1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of the leisure/outdoor furniture industry and, more particularly, to a Hanging Chair Stand.
2. Discussion of Prior Art
Hanging chairs or slings have become popular within recent years. No doubt, when a person hears the phrase “hanging chair,” thoughts of rest and relaxation enters the person's mind. Traditionally, hanging chairs include a fabric sling of some kind that is suspended from a single point harness, which is connected to either side of a wood spreader bar that, in turn, is connected to either side of a seat sling. This set-up is suitable where there are pre-existing overhead supports, such as tree limbs or ceiling joists. The installation of these types of hanging chairs takes some skill and is time-consuming. Where no overhead supports are available, hanging chairs may take the form of freestanding hanging chair supports having metal or wooden frames. However, these freestanding hanging chairs are expensive, bulky and can pose safety hazards.
Further Discussion of Prior Art—Non Patent Literature Documents (NPLD)
The earliest freestanding stands, or hanging chair supports, were single point stands. That is, they are designed to hold the chair from a single central suspension point on the highest portion of the Hanging Chair Stand. Single point stands are still the most widely used form of hanging chair stands. Ten or more single point stands can be found on the market today. Several of these stands are illustrated in the excerpts from brochures and catalogs listed as Non Patent Literature Documents (hereafter NPLD) P, Q, R, in the accompanying Form PTO/SB/O8B. These three stands, NPLD P, Q, and R, are representative of prior art single point stands. The stand shown in Illustration NPLD P is probably the most frequently sold single point stand at this time. This stand is in excess of 7 feet tall, weighs about 70 lbs., and is composed of 12 pieces.
More recently a few two point or multi-point hanging chair stands have appeared on the market. These stands are designed to suspend a hanging chair from two or more points on the stand. Only a few of this type of stand can be found on the market today. Four two point stands are illustrated in the excerpts from catalogs and brochures listed as Non Patent Literature Documents (hereafter NPLD) in the accompanying Form PTO/SB/08B. Illustrations NPLD S, T, U, V, illustrate the variety of these stands. This is a representative sample of prior art two point stands. Illustration NPLD U shows a two point stand 412 which is 64″ high, 36″ wide and 45″ long.
As suggested above, the earliest hanging chairs were single point, and were used primarily outdoors, suspended from tree limbs. The earliest hanging chair stands were also used primarily outdoors.
Along with the increasing popularity of hanging chair stands has come the need for a stand that is convenient for indoor use, as well as outdoors. Neither the single point nor the two point prior art stands has adequately satisfied this need. The reasons are various. Almost all have a tripping hazzard. The tripping hazzard stems form a cross member or tie bar immediately below or in front of the location over which the person is suspended when sitting in the hanging chair. Illustrations NPLD P, Q, R, S, T, U, V (reference numerals 502, 504, 506, 508, 510) all show a cross member as part of these prior art stands. Hanging chair stands 406 and 414, Illustrations NPLD R and V, are the only prior art two point hanging chair stands known to the inventor that do not show a cross member. However, even these stands (because of the cross-bars in their square foot prints, 606, 614) have a degree of obstruction not found in the Hanging Chair Stand. A picture of the Hanging Chair Stand can be seen in the inventor's catalog, Illustration W.
Further, Illustrations NPLD P, Q, R, S, T, U, V, which include both the single point and two point stand, show that all prior art stands have a square or rectangular footprint (reference numerals 602, 604, 606, 608, 610, 612, 614). The square footprint limits the areas in which they can be conveniently located indoors, as well as outdoors. This is because their bulky footprints preclude their use in corners and corner-like spaces. Some of the stands are bulky and heavy, some are complicated to assemble. Some tend to come apart when in use. Some tend to tip over too easily when in use.
None of these problems exist with the Hanging Chair Stand, which is a two point stand.
The reason prior art has not solved the cross member and bulky footprint problems with respect to two point stands, is because most developers have failed to look beyond the concept of the full-length hammock support stand. That is, one can easily see from Illustrations NPLD S, T, U, V, that prior art two point stands are merely a version of the full-length hammock support stand. That is, examination of Illustrations NPLD S, T, U, V, show that each of these prior art stands have been made by folding up, or shortening, a full-length hammock support stand, thereby converting it to hold a hanging chair. This still leaves most prior art two point stands with a cross member beneath the feet of the user, and all with a bulky footprint.
Further Discussion of Prior Art—U.S. Patent Documents
    U.S. Pat. No. 236,630 to S. R. Robinson discloses a combined chair and hammock, and, as constructed, the chair may be also used for a swing.    U.S. Pat. No. 549,670 to C. L. Barnhart discloses an efficient spring-actuated baby-jumper simple and durable in construction and effective in operation.    U.S. Pat. No. 505,797 to A. Wastall discloses am aerial cradle-cot of the class which possesses the attributes of absolute safety, extreme comfort, general convenience, ready adjustability of parts, lightness, compactness, portability and adaptability for use in or out of doors, on land or shipboard, and in all climates.    U.S. Pat. No. 654,779 to J. Bowland discloses an improved device with a supporting frame which may be conveniently assembled and also taken apart for shipment, and also having improved means for pivotally or hingedly hanging the seat or body of the swing on the frame, so as to obtain a free and easy swinging movement of the seat.    U.S. Pat. No. 787,556 to A. P. Bottgar discloses a swinging chair in which the back of the chair is easily and readily adjustable and also in which the foot-rest is capable of adjustment, and further, provides a swinging chair which can be easily and readily attached to and detached from hooks in the ceiling or the top of a door casing.    U.S. Pat. No. 2,398,384 to A. G. Meyers discloses a nursery chair swing and provides a simple, durable, and attractive article which is readily folded into compact form for convenient storage, when not in use, and readily unfolded into operative form for use.    U.S. Pat. No. Des. 249,408 to William P. Jackson discloses the ornamental design for a “suspension chair and stand.”    U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,409 to Thomas C. Eads, et al, discloses a hanging chair including a generally rectangular seat frame and a generally rectangular backrest frame pivotally attached to the seat frame.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,545 to Ambrose C. S. Hooi discloses an infant cradle comprising a support stand and a hammock that is suspended from the support stand.    U.S. Pat. No. 5,842,741 to Giorgio Onorini discloses an improved portable patio swing of the type being suspended from a free-standing, overhead support frame.    U.S. Pat. No. 6,582,018 B2 to Chuen-Jong Tseng discloses a swing frame including a pair of support frame units, a hollow horizontal bar, and two primary locking devices.
Through a diligent search of the U.S. PTO records, the above patents cite the most relevant inventions this inventor was able discover, but none of them is very similar to the Hanging Chair Stand.